Advanced Millimeter Wave Lab
Overview
The Advanced Millimeter Wave Laboratory features electronic characterization of devices and circuits over a wide range of frequencies, ranging from DC to 220GHz. Specific capabilities include vector network analysis of devices and circuits to 220 GHz for both on-wafer measurements as well as fixtured measurements (in coax to 50GHz, in waveguide to 220 GHz). Four-port vector network analysis is also available for on-wafer and in-fixture multi-port characterization with true-differential and IQ stimulus. Analog test signals with carriers up to 220GHz and multi-channel arbitrary waveform generation up to 12.5 GSPS at 12-bits of resolution can be synthesized to exercise devices and circuits, both on a wafer and over the air. Wideband vector signal generators and signal analyzers are in place for analysis of analog and digitally modulated signals from 10 MHz to 44GHz with analysis bandwidths of up to 2 GHz. The lab also includes load-pull tuners up to 8 GHz with gamma up to 0.92 and a 4-channel 20 GSPS, 6 GHz digital storage oscilloscope. A fully automated microwave milling machine enables fabrication of circuits on ceramic substrates with the resolution to 100 microns. The Microwave Circuits and Systems laboratory also runs microfabrication work flows in the state of the art NDnano Nanofabrication facility with class 10,000, 1,000, and 100 clean rooms for photolithography and etching, as well as wire-bonding and advanced packaging.
A One-of-a-Kind Testbed
The Millimeter Wave Lab is currently in a rapid growth stage and will be a one-of-a-kind testbed with new equipment worth $700K being added. The Lab is a superset of the following:
- The current 44 GHz time-domain testbed for operation across the many millimeter wave bands of interest as well as their harmonics.
- New hardware will provide access to the increasingly important bands between 55-110 GHz with 2-6 GHz of instantaneous bandwidth, as well as 2nd and 3rd harmonics.
- New Millimeter Wave active harmonics load pull.
- Prototyping and Fabrication capabilities via in-lab Milling machine and a separate world-class Nanofabrication cleanroom facility. We have manufactured circuit boards and microfabricated Millimeter Wave antennas using these facilities.
Projects
The Advanced Millimeter Wave Lab has been instrumental in many Wireless Institute projects and publications, some of which are:
Low Complexity, Low Cost,
Low Power RF
Millimeter Wave Wireless
RadioHound: Distributed
Spectrum Sensing
Sponsors and Investigators
The Advanced Millimeter Wave Lab established in 2016 and has over $1.2 million dollars in equipment partially funded through an ONR DURIP award.
The PI’s for this Lab are Jonathan Chisum and Bertrand Hochwald.